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Jim Otto, NFL Hall of Fame Raiders Center, Dies At 86

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Updated21 May 2024

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Jim Otto, NFL Hall of Fame Raiders Center, Dies At 86

Jim Otto, the legendary NFL Hall of Famer known as “Mr. Raider,” died at the age of 86 on Sunday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced Monday morning. The cause of death was not immediately known.

NFL Hall of Famer Jim Otto played 210 consecutive regular-season games with Oakland Raiders

“The Original Raider,” the club said in a statement posted on X. “The personification of consistency, Jim’s influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated. His leadership and tenacity were a hallmark of the dominant Raider teams of the 1960s and 70s.”

During his early football career, Otto played football at Wausau High School in Wausau, Wisconsin, under coach Win Brockmeyer. He played college football for the Hurricanes at the University of Miami.

Otto joined the Oakland Raiders for their inaugural season in the American Football League in 1960 and remained on the team for the next 15 years. He earned 12 consecutive Pro-Bowl selections (1961-1972) and 10 straight First-Team All-Pro nods (1960-1970).

As a 6-foot-2, 255-pound center, he never missed a game because of injuries. Otto competed in 210 consecutive regular-season games and 308 straight total contests despite undergoing nine operations on his knees during his playing career.

Furthermore, Otto was believed to have undergone more than 50 surgeries, most because of football-related injuries. He dealt with arthritis, debilitating back and neck issues, and multiple joint replacements. His right leg was amputated in 2007.

“I can take any type of surgery in the world except for when it comes to something that's internal,” Otto said. “When it's cosmetic, fixing your nose, fixing your knee, fixing your elbows or whatever, that's nothing.”

Otto was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980

Additionally, Jim Otto was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.

Otto helped lead the Raiders to seven division titles in his final eight seasons. However, his team lost Super Bowl II to the Green Bay Packers following the 1967 season. He is considered one of the AFL’s all-time greats.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby posted on X that Otto was an “absolute legend & incredible person.”

“He’s a warrior,” former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon once said. “When you think of the old-time, tough Raider, you think of Jim Otto.”

“Jim Otto personified the aura and mystique of the Raiders,” Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement. “He was ‘The Original Raider,’ leading a new franchise from its inception into its first run of glory years from the late 1960s into the 1970s. His legendary reliability — with 210 consecutive starts in the AFL and NFL — and the accolades he acquired serve as a testament to his dedication to the organization and the game.”

Otto is survived by his wife Sally, his son Jim Jr., and daughter-in-law Leah. He is also survived by his 14 grandchildren — Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman, and Ellie.